Lawn-mower.



No. 805,900. PATENTED NOV. 28, 1 905.

- J. N. BRYANT.

LAWN MOWER.

APPLIAOATION FILED 1111.: s, 1906.

' w IVESSES: I l/WE/VTOR 552M" Jaw/9 Nfi/fX/WZ' I By PATENTED NOV. 28, 1905.

J. N. BRYANT.

LAWN MOWER.

APPLIG'ATION FILED JULY 8. 1905.

INVENTOR v #0455 A! fifimzyr ATTORNE Y8 No; 805,900. I P'ATENTED NOV. 28, 1965."

J.N.BRYANT.

LAWN MOWER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 8. 1905.

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IHIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIHIIIH m m 1lllllllllllllllllllllllllll! llllllllllilllllll' w ESSES: v I INVENTOR 6 v J/ZMES MGR/1M7. W By ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES N. BRYA T, OE SPARTA, TENNESSEE, .ASSIGNOR OF E-HALE TO REUBEN T. DRAKE, OF ROCK ISLAND, TENNESSEE.

LAWN-MOWER- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1905. 1

Application filed July 8, 1905. Serial No. 269,113.

.To a. whom; it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES N. BRYANT, a citizen of the United States, and a residentof Sparta, in the county of White and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lawn-Mowers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in that class of lawn-mowers in which a reciprocating cutter is employed. 7

The invention is embodied in the novel features of construction,arrangement, and comshafts which are adapted to becoupled, so

that the rotary motion of one imparts lateral oscillation to the other. Fig. 6 is a sectional view further illustrating the coupling shown inFig. 5. Fig. 7 is a cross-section of the longitudinal portion of the frame on the line 7 7 of Fig. 2, the arch or U-shaped beam and the running wheels being shown in elevation. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a portion of the reciprocating cutter. Fig. 9 is a perspective View of a'portion of the finger-bar or fixed cutter. Figs. 10 and 11 are different sections of the cutting mechanism. Fig. 12 shows a modification of gearing.

The frame of the machine includes a longitudinal portion upon Whose front end the cutting mechanism is mounted and an inverted- U arch or beam having laterally-extended journals upon which running-wheels H are mounted. The longitudinal portion of the frame comprises a metal bar A, having a footpiece a and an upper extended portion a, which is bolted to a wooden bar A, and an upper metal piece A which is in similar manner bolted to the wooden 'bar A and constructed to form bearings for rotary shafts,

ger-bar C, (see Figs. 2, 9, and 11,) the same being bolted to the foot a of the bar A, and a reciprocating cutter C, which rests upon the finger-bar (J- and is secured thereto by means of bolts working in longitudinal slots, as shown in Fig. 1. The sides of the fingers of the bar C and also the sides of the cutters of the bar 0 (see Fig. 8) are made concave and beveled, and the ends of both are pointed, as shown. cutting mechanism which is adapted to sever grass with the greatest ease and uniformity.

Reciprocating movement is imparted to the cutter'C through the medium of a shaft D, which is pivoted at d in the part wof the frame. (See Figs. 1 and 2.) The upper end of the shaft D is provided with an enlarged head 61, (see Figs. 2 and 5,) which is constructed with a vertical Slot 0Z The head 0? is practically coupled with the head 6 of the rotary shaft E, as hereinafter described. The said shaft is journaled in bearings 06 01 a, one being attached to the under side of the wooden bar A, another provided in the casting or metal frame-piece A and the third in a lug pendent from bar A. The head 6 of the shaft E is provided with a pin e which is ec-, centrically located. As shown in Fig. 2, the

are placed opposite and in close proximity, so that the pin 6 projects into and works in the vertically-elongated slot 61 of the head d. The upper end of the shaftD is supported in a bearing which permits its lateral movement therein. Hence when rotation is imparted to the shaft E corresponding lateral oscillation of the shaft D results, or, in other words, the said shaft D is rocked on its pivot (Z, and thereby reciprocating movement is imparted to the cutter C; As indicated in Fig. 1, the lower end of the shaft D is constructed with a-toothed segmental head 0Z which engages a corresponding rack 0, formed on the rear edge of the cutter C. Thus rotation of the shaft E is converted into oscillating motion of the shaft D, which reciprocates the cutter. I may employ either of two methods for imparting rotation to the shaft E. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the upper end of the shaft E isprovided with a bevel-pinion 6 which meshes with a bevel-gear F, mounted on the shaft F, having a crank f, the said shaft being provided with bearings in the slotted frame A While clasping the lefthand portion of the handle a with one hand, the operator may rotate the gear F by means By this means I form a very effective heads d and e of the respective shafts D E thereon.

of the other hand, and thus reciprocate the cutter as desired. For the purposeof steadying the bevel-gear F, I arrange an antifriction-roller at The other means for imparting rotation to the shaft E, and thereby reciprocating the cutter C, are the following: A toothed rim or annulus G (see Figs. 1 and 2) is aflixed to the inner side of the runningwheels H, the same being suitably bolted to the latter, as shown. A shaft I is operatively connected with one of the annular gears G, and a corresponding shaft 1 is similarly connected with the other onethat is to say, each shaft I I is provided on its outer end with a spur-pinion d, which engages one of the annular gears G, as shown. The inner end of the shaft I is provided with a bevelwheel 6, and the shaft I is provided with a similar gear '5 One of these gears t" meshes with a bevel-pinion e on the shaft E, and the other gear meshes with a corresponding bevel-pinion e on the shaft E. From this combination and arrangement of parts it is apparent that either of the wheels will impart rotation to the shaft E through the medium of the connecting horizontal shafts I I and that the rotation of the shaft E will be always in the same direction in consequence of the arrangement of the bevel-gears c" i to mesh with the opposite bevel-pinions e 0 It is apparent that one of the shafts I I must be set at a slight angle in order that the handle and the gears may be coupled in this manner; but the degree of inclination is not suflicient to perceptibly affect the operation of the parts. As shown in Fig. 7, the shafts I I have their hearings in a U-shaped arch or beam A the same having pendent arms a as shown.

It is necessary that provision should be made for such connection between the wheels H and the shafts I I that either wheel may rotate backward, as when the machine is turned or run back-ward. For this purposeI provide clutches, (see Fig. 7,) the same being constructed as disks having toothed faces adapted to engage corresponding clutch-faces on the inner sides of the pinions or gears z'. The disks i are slidable, but non-rotatable on the axles I I, pinions J being loosely mounted The clutch-disks d are held normally engaged with the pinions by a spiral spring, which yields to allow backward rotation,as will be readily understood. The clutchdisks may be provided with clamping-screws or other means for holding them out of action-that is to say, out of contact with the pinions z'when it is desired to operate the cutting mechanism by hand-power alone.

The stub-axles upon which the wheels H are journaled are made vertically adjustable in the parallel arms of the U-shaped beam A, Said arms being provided with a series of holes, as indicated in Fig. 2. By this means the longitudinal frame of the machine may be set higher or lower as conditions require.

The front bearing-wheel K (see Figs. 1 and 4:) is journaled in the curved bar 1:, which is secured to the foot (0 of the frame-bar A by a bolt, the bar K: having a series of holes which permits the wheel K to be adjusted higher or lower.

In the modification shown in Fig. 12 the transverse'shaft I is made in one piece instead of being divided, and a single bevelgear a" is mounted therein and arranged to engage pinions 0, which are keyed on the alined ends of shaft-sections E E The latter are equivalent to shaft E in Fig. 2, and one of them is provided with a dish having a pin 6 for engaging the slotted head cl of shaft D, (see Fig. 5,) while the other will in practice extend up to the handle and there connect with the hand-operated gearing. Clutches are arranged as required to permit backward rotation.

What I claim is 1. In a lawn-mower, the combination of a frame comprising a longitudinal portion and an inverted U -shaped beam, or arch, arranged vertical and at right angles to the vertical plane of the longitudinal portion, the two being secured together at their middle, stubaxles projecting from the pendent end portions of the beam and running-wheels mounted thereon, cutting mechanism arranged upon the front end of the longitudinal portion and extending laterally and equally on each side thereof, and means for operating the said mechanism, substantially as described.

2. In a lawn-mower, the combination, with a longitudinal frame, cutting mechanism arranged at the front end of the same and including a reciprocating cutter, an oscillating lever pivoted in the frame and operatively connected with the reciprocating cutter and having in its upper end a head provided with an elongated vertical slot, a rotary shaft in substantial alinement with the oscillating lever, and having an eccentric pin which works in the aforesaid slot, and means for operating the rotary shaft substantially as described.

3. In a lawn-mower, the combination, with a longitudinal frame comprising a bar and inverted-U-shaped transverse beam having pendent arms carrying stub-axles, running-wheels mounted on such axles, and cutting mechanism arranged at the front of the frame, an oscillating lever for operating the reciprocating cutter, a rotary shaft operatively connected with the oscillating lever, transverse shafts whose inner ends are geared with such rotary shaft, internal toothed gears secured to the running-wheels, and supplemental gearing for operatively connecting the transverse shaft therewith, substantially as described.

4. In a lawn-mower, the combination, with a longitudinal frame and an invcrted-U-shaped beam secured together at their middle, axles secured to the pendent arms of the beam, running-wheels mounted on such axles, reciproeating cutting mechanism arranged at the front of the frame, an oscillating lever for impartingreciprocation to the cutter, a rotary shaft operatively connected with the oscillating lever and provided with bevel-pinions arranged op- .-posite and spaced apart, transverse shafts I,

I, geared with the respective pinions and op-.

eratively connected with the running-wheels whereby rotation is imparted as the machine advances, substantially as described.

5. In a lawn-mower, the combination, of a longitudinal frame comprising a practically arranged for imparting reciprocation thereto,

substantially as described.

JAMES N. BRYANT.

Witnesses:

AsA CROMBER, HARRIS HATOHER. 

